A deal has been struck that will provide more than the minimum required amount of parking in one section of a developing Langley neighbourhood that is said to suffer from a shortage of vehicle spaces.
The agreement, which covers 24 proposed row house and semi-detached housing units in the 20900 block of 80 and 80A Avenues in the Yorkson area, increases the number of parking spaces by 50 per cent over the minimum to provide three to four parking units for each unit, plus shared visitor parking and street parking.
The Ambiance Projects Ltd. design was presented at a Jan. 12 public hearing.
In response to council questions, Ramin Seifi, the Township general manager of engineering and community development, indicated the Ambiance development will likely not be the last Yorkson project to provide more than the minimum parking allotment.
Seifi said staff have been holding “discussions with various proponents” about ways to increase parking spaces.
Buyers of the houses will also be required to make a legally binding promise that their garages will only be used for vehicles, an apparent response to a staff report that found some of the shortage of parking in Yorkson was because some garages were being used for everything but storing cars and trucks.
Councillor David Davis called the proposal “a step in the right direction.”
Councillor Charlie Fox said the new standards would provide “ample” parking.
Some residents of the Yorkson area have been lobbying council to add more parking to already-built neighbourhoods, saying a shortage of available spaces is forcing visitors to park an excessive distance from their homes.
For the last two years, council has agreed to ease parking ticket writing in South Yorkson over the Christmas holiday to allow vehicles in the no-parking areas of 80 Avenue near 210 Street.
Traffic engineering staff have proposed a temporary fix that would create 12 new on-street parking stalls at 212 Street and 80 Avenue.
The suggestion was outlined in a staff report to council that warned it would only be an interim solution because the area “is part of a future road realignment.”
The $50,000 cost of the spots has been added to a list of possible Township construction projects to be considered for approval by council in 2015.
